A few more pictures for Grand River Expedition 2010

I am speaking about how all of us have challenges to overcome.  It is our resilience and courage that enables us to pick ourselves up and strive to do great things.  These comments were made at the Old Town, Lansing welcoming of the Grand River Expedition 2010.  I then re-entered the the river with my lovely wife, Andria, and had a delightful paddle to Grand Ledge.

Meeting at lunch during our last day of paddling.  Matt and I launched and headed out toward Lake Huron.

O.k., after a little push we were on our way. 

O.k., after a big heave, hoe from the stern we were on our way.

Matt displaying the colors proudly.

Doug and I after our very wet portion through Grand Rapids.  

Running the a few of the dams was fun.  We are at on of my "Particular Harbors" - Grand Haven.  One more day to go.

After a hearty lunch, Jake was ready to go on his second leg.

A bit of reflection on the days journey before we both jumped in.  

This is still the Grand River.

Helping get out the word in Grand Haven.

My dream boat.

 I love Grand Haven.

These are the paddlers who went the entire 225 miles.  What an incredible bunch of wonderful people.  I'm lucky to have been able to journey with them.

Matt, Antonia and I at Lake Michigan after 225 miles of paddling for me.

Until 2020.  

Jacob assured me that he will be doing the entire trip with me in 2020.  A bet Antonia will want to join us.  Jake with will be 20 years old and Antonia will be 16.

The Riverdudes

Paddling Poster at Greenfield Health Dialysis Center at Henry Ford Hospital

I went to dialysis clinic last week and as I walked through the door I was greeted by this poster.  Our social worker, Karen, told me that a number of patients asked about the project.  This is what I wanted when I started training.  This and to lose twenty pounds.  At least maybe I achieved the inspiration part.  It would be nice to know that a patient pushed themselves a little harder after seeing this poster.

Follow Fit and Active on Dialysis for incredible inspiration from Julia

http://fitandactiveondialysis.blogspot.com/

Here is an excellent blog for becoming active while on dialysis. Follow Julia as she becomes a super athlete and also does hemodialysis. Just do it Julia.

225 miles later

It has been a couple of weeks since I completed the 225 mile Grand River Expedition. It was an incredible experience. Jacob canoed with me two days and Andria one day. On my first day, which was one Jacob joined me, we had seventy mile an hour winds, torential rains, and lightening, one struck one hundred feet away from us as we huddled under a bridge with twenty-five other paddlers.


I had a number of old and new friends join me for the other ten days. I even had a new friend paddle with me who happened to have kidney and pancreas transplant and a prosthetic leg. We had a number of portages that day which we were successful with, especially due to the help of our fellow paddlers. With your support, it felt as if you too were there in my canoe with me.


The first two days were a challange, but after that I seemed to develop a rhythm chasing Great Blue Herons and Kingfishers down the stream until they turned to Bald Eagles and eventually to seagulls as we came upon the dunes near Lake Michigan. My father in law, Larry and his wife, Sue, camped with me for five days at Ionia State Park allowing for me to dialyze close to the middle stretches of the journey. So many people helped to make this journey so successful.


I never dialyzed so much - 12 days. I took one day off because of a threat of tornadoes and thunderstorms. Sure enough we lost power that night, so I'm glad I didn't have to disconnect. It ruins my beauty sleep. And, as you all know, I need all that I can get. The daily dialysis helped me to be strong each day. I would do it all the time if it weren't so much work.


There were 60 of us paddlers who paddled the entire length and nearly 400 who paddled at least one day. This was the most ever for this adventure that started in 1990. Everyone brough a unique experience to the trip. We had a newlywed couple, and woman who celebrated her 85th birthday and her third Expedition. We had a 14 year old boy who paddled the distance with his grandfather. And, we also had a Voyager Canoe from Project Lakewell join us for the final half of the trip. It was a like freigther compared to the many 12 foot kayaks.


Most importantly, I have now raised nearly $13,000 for the National Kidney Foundation. I couldn't have done this without your donations and kind wishes.


Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and let me tell you I have a pretty big heart, so that is a lot of thanks and love.


I hope you enjoy the rest of this splendid summer.


Your truly,
Erich

The Chippewa was wonderful tonic for the "liquid soul"

Yesterday, Jacob, Antonia and I spent three hours on the Chippewa River in central Michigan west of Mount Pleasant.  Though on the low side, which was only noticeable in the stern of my boat, the Chippewa moves swiftly compared to the lumbering Grand River.

It was nice to scoop up a rock and examine it for helgramites, mayfly larvae, and caddisfly (macroinvertebrates - fish food for the uninitiated) and to swim in some nice gravel bottom holes. We saw tons of muskrats and even more drunken coeds on tubes.  Something on the river for everyone to enjoy.  For the upper part of the river we had it virtually to ourselves, except for the occaissional rat or tube.

This is a great river until you hit the golf course. The bottom is silted and the banks eroded and elderly ladies wave at you as they fly by in thier carts - which isn't bad, just a different kind of wildlife. My inner watershed planner reminded me that there is room for everyone on a river, er, even on their banks - that is, if done well. 

Any day on a river is a good day.

A year ago, I passed on a number of canoeing opportunities because the act of hoisting my boat, gathering supplies and rounding up my kids was overwhelming.  I'm not sure if I'm in better shape, certainly have seemed to helped the anemia problem with the recent surgery, or if I have just rekindled my river flame.  Yesterday I remained undaunted as the day turned into afternoon and yet I managed to pack us up and drive an hour and a half to the Chippewa.  We got on the river at 3:30 with a great spot from the folks at the Chippewa Canoe Livery.

On the first day of the Grand River Expedition, as Jacob and I were beginning the second and very long eventful leg of the day, Jacob said, "Dad, you know other dad's don't do this.  I really enjoy canoeing with you."  That was music to my ears.  All too often I am painfully reminded of the many things I don't do that other fathers can do in contrast to things that I do do - like dialysis which most fathers do not need to do. It gladdens me that I can offer my children incredible outdoor adventures.  The Grand River Expedition has  inspired me to get my kids outside much more often that I did.  Neither Jacob nor Antonia wanted our trip to end yesterday.  And as soon as I had them back in the boats they yearned to be in the water and so did I. 

I told them yesterday that my favorite thing in the world is swimming in a swift moving, cool clean stream - and to share that with my children was an amazing treat.  To which Jacob said, "doesn't everybody?"  A crescendo to the symphany I was hearing.  I reminded him that many people don't like to swim in anything other than a pool and wouldn't want to share the river with a helgramite.

When we were in Lansing during the Grand River Expedition, my long time friend and Ingham County Treasurer, Eric Schertzing mentioned that the Grand River was liquid soul as he welcomed the paddlers.  Liquid soul, such an eloquent term for the Grand and for all rivers. It certainly fits for my beloved Clinton River to which I'm thinking of taking the kids to this fall to have some fun on. 

The River Dude.

Heading for the Chippewa River for a river fix with Jacob and Antonia

Because of the incredible support of Andria, I was able to spend thirteen days of the summer on the Grand River.  Since coming home, I've been spending all my time with my family, camping, making dinners, swimming at the MSU pool and just plain hanging out.  We have four weeks left until Jacob and Antonia are back in school and I want to make the most of our time together.  Because of this, the blogging has been a bit spotty.  Once school starts, I will have more time to reflect on my incredible 225 mile journey.  I feel blessed that I was able to complete it with energy to share.

If I can tear myself away from my computer and finish the breakfast dishes, I will take Jake and Antonia up to the Chippewa River in Mount Pleasant.  It is one of the closer cool, clear running streams.  Time to go.